Several monastic orders, particularly the Dominicans, emphasized the importance of study for their members, and thus (through the preservation, translation, and copying of ancient and antique Greek and Latin works) much knowledge crossed the bridge from the remote past into the present. As an aid to the courses of study, monks were often required to compile a florilegium, wherein they could collect extracts from their readings, arrange them in an edifying order, and comment on them, where appropriate. This (admittedly primitive) critical approach to both religious and secular texts was an important foundation for the growth of scholasticism.